Love Them Up and Keep Them Forever™

My nine year old son and I have developed a small Starbucks habit.  On our way to his summer day camp drop-off, one day each week, we stop and get coffee drinks.  Actually, I get a coffee drink and he gets some crazy milkshake concoction with lots of whipped cream and chocolate chips.  (Yep, this is in the morning and I’m loading my son up with sugar.  My heart goes out to the camp counselors, but my son’s pretty good at managing his craziness when he has to.)

Last week, we pulled through the drive-through and sat for a bit before our drinks were ready.  Fortunately, I wasn’t in a big hurry that day.  No morning meetings, no urgency at all.  I wondered what might be delaying our order, though that was about it.

After a few minutes, the window server handed us our drinks with an apology.  ”One of our machines is down this morning, so we’re a little slow,” she said.  ”I’m so sorry that you had to wait. Here’s a coupon that you can use next time.”

I took the little orange folded slip, thanked her and told her I understood.  Then off to summer camp we went.  It wasn’t until later that I actually looked at the coupon.  I loved it.  On the front, it has a cut-out in the shape of a coffee cup and it says, “A cup should never be half empty.”   Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, I was given the wonderful opportunity to talk with a group of young men who work at a grocery store. They were enthusiastic kids, happy to be earning spending money over the summer. I’ve found that it’s eye opening to hear the perspective of the youngest segment of the working population. Everything is new to them.

At the store where these teens worked, employees are instructed to politely refuse tips from customers.   “Sometimes a customer will offer us a dollar when we help them bag their groceries or lift something heavy into their car. We thank them but we don’t take the money,” one of them shared. 

I asked, “Have you ever been tempted to accept a tip?”

There was a moment of silence then one boy confessed, “I took a tip yesterday.  A lady came up to me in the parking lot. She told me she had short term memory loss and had no idea where she was parked.  She asked me to help her find her car. It took such a long time to find it. We went from one side of the parking lot to the other, but I finally spotted it for her. She was so happy. She pulled out $5 and gave it to me. It was $5! That’s a lot of money. I have to work almost an hour to make that much. I had to take it.” 

The other boys seemed to agree with his logic. Hmm . . . it can be tough for employees making minimum wage to see the value of turning down a big tip.  I personally believe it isn’t an age issue; employees of all ages can struggle with following procedures. Part of the problem comes from a “do it because I say so” company attitude to which employees don’t relate. It’s much more productive to help your staff understand the reasons for your company policies. 

Employees are much more likely to take ownership of a “company rule” when they understand it - how it makes a difference and how it impacts the business, the customers and themselves.  They need training in order to see the situation from the appropriate perspective.

I recommend that you begin by helping them see things from the customer’s point of view: “When you politely decline a tip, the customer feels extra special. They feel like you helped them because you really wanted to help them. They know that if they have a heavy item that would be difficult to handle, our store offers help at no charge. They feel taken care of which makes them feel good about spending their money at our store, instead of with our competitors.” 

Another effective way to increase compliance to policies is to help employees see things from the company’s perspective.  Here’s an example of an explanation that might make a difference:

“We want our customers to choose our store over all of their other options. To stand out, we provide service that other stores don’t provide. When our employees follow this policy, the store has happier more loyal customers. Happier customers are more pleasant to work with. They refer our store to their friends and family. More business means more financial success. And more financial success means we can pay our employees better wages and provide better working conditions.”

When employees understand the impact of following procedures, they become more empowered. They aren’t asked to follow meaningless procedures that makes no sense to them. They see that their actions have meaning and make a difference.  

An added benefit for businesses in discussing policies with employees in meetings and via email? In the process of explaining company procedures, you can encourage your employees to give you feedback and suggestions to help refine and improve any outdated or ineffective policies.  And - bonus - it’s natural to be more committed to policies that you helped develop.

What do you think?

Are there any policies at your company that employees routinely “forget” to follow?  What can you do this week to help them understand the value and impact of following the procedures you’ve put in place? 

Posted on www.lovethemup.com by Marilyn Suttle

Developing your customer service skills can be a confusing proposition.  You’re told to develop a relationship with the customer.  ”Make it personal,” the experts say, “Make a connection with them so that they come back.”  Then, in the next article you read, they say, “Don’t take customer conflicts personally.” How can you be both personal and not - at the same time???

Actually, it’s easy.  It’s personal when things are going well.  When the customer first walks into your establishment or calls you on the telephone, it’s personal.  You’re developing a relationship that you hope will be stronger than their connection to your competitors.  You smile, pay complete attention to them and do your best to ascertain their every need and fill it.  You ask about their pets, their kids, their favorite sports team - but only if they seem open to taking the conversation to a more personal level.  People like to do business with people they like and one of the most important aspects of being a great customer service rep is the ability to connect with customers.

It’s not personal when there is a problem.  When the customer doesn’t get their delivery on time or there’s a mistake in the order or if they’re just having a bad day, that’s when you respond 100% from your head. That’s when you’re representing the company, not yourself, in the transaction.  When you’re resolving a customer service issue, adding your own emotions (anxiety, irritation, anger) to the mix is a big fat NO-NO. That’s when you need to think the most clearly so you can use your best creative problem-solving skills. And when your customers know they can count on you to be friendly, responsive and cordial - no matter what is happening - it strengthens the relationship.  

written by Lori Jo Vest on www.lovethemup.com

A couple weeks ago, I experienced a pleasantly surprising transaction with a very large company.  I had called AT&T to cancel an old phone line and have my DSL internet moved to my new business line.  I was wary, as I’ve had bad experiences in the past with long waits and frustrating attempts to navigate the dreaded automated phone system. I try to press the prompt that will get me a live person but somehow I always seem to end up with another long set of prompts taking me everywhere except where I want to go. 

This time, there was no long wait. Within minutes, I was talking to a live person. When he heard what I needed, however, he said, “I’m going to have to connect you to another department.”  

“Here we go,” I thought. “Now I’ll have to explain the whole thing all over again to someone else.”  This time, I was wrong.  The first representative stayed on the line and explained what I needed to the woman in the new department. I was impressed and relieved.  Once she understood the details, the pleasant man thanked me and hung up. Everything went well and an AT&T worker was scheduled to come to my home the following Tuesday. 

When he arrived, he politely explained what he was about to do outside.  When he was done, he offered to come inside to make sure my internet was up and running. He worked with my modem to make sure it was functioning properly.  Then, he told me what I would have to do with my username to ensure that I wouldn’t have a lapse in service.  As we discussed the department at AT&T that would handle this aspect of the connection, he decided to manage it for me.  He got them on the phone, gave them his employee number and explained what I needed. Once he put me on the call and was sure that everything was going smoothly, he said goodbye and let himself out. The next AT&T representative walked me through the final steps and I was all set.   

It took those employees extra time to patch me through and make sure the next department knew what needed to be done and it gave me a sense of security.  I was so happy that they made the effort to ensure I transitioned seamlessly from department to department. Two separate times, their people patched me through to the next person I needed and made sure I was taken care of before leaving me. Their “hand holding” was extraordinary and you can be sure I’ll be recommending AT&T to others.

Reflections:  What can you do to make your customer’s life a little less stressful?  Are there any areas of transition during which your customers could use a bit of extra help?  

written by Marilyn Suttle on www.lovethemup.com

Everything I know about customer service I learned in sales.  While many people think the two areas of specialty require different skill sets, I’m not convinced.  To be successful in sales or customer service, you need great mood management skills.  Sales people have to control their moods so that they don’t get demotivated when a potential customer chooses not to buy from them.  They can’t give up on their jobs, they have to simply re-think what happened, explore what they can do differently next time, and keep moving forward with a positive attitude.  I recommend the same approach for front-line customer service reps.  

What is mood management?  It’s an ability - which can definitely be cultivated - to control how you think about a situation so that you can continue to behave rationally, no matter what happens. How you think determines how you feel and how you act, so improving how you think about your customers and your co-workers will upgrade how you feel about them and how you act towards them.

It’s inevitable.  Let’s say you are a counter person at a print shop.  You have a customer who is in a hurry and is acting a bit cranky.  You have a choice.  You can consider that person in either a positive or a negative way.  You might immediately think, “geez, here’s another customer rushing me and acting like it’s my fault that they didn’t get their order in on time to meet their own deadline.”  With that line of thought, you’ll most likely feel a bit defensive and demotivated.  You may struggle with keeping a positive attitude as you complete the transaction.   Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever been a customer with a problem on your hands? You need the problem handled so you call the company and leave a detailed message. You can hardly wait to hear back from customer service. An hour goes by, then two. The next thing you know the day is over and you haven’t heard back. Then two days go by and you’re angry.  Frustrating, right? 

Maybe you called for a price quote and no one returned your call. Maybe you’re supposed to get medical test results on Tuesday morning and by Tuesday afternoon you still haven’t received a call. Maybe your car replacement part is on backorder and a month goes by without an update.  How do you feel about a company that leaves you hanging? 

I was recently working on a project, when  I needed information from the person in charge.  I sent an email and two days went by with no reply.  I thought perhaps it didn’t go through, so I left a phone message. Another day went by and still no response. Several days later, I called and had a candid conversation to find out why.  She said, “I don’t have an answer for you yet. I need more time to think. I often find that if I don’t respond right away the problem goes away.”  She might be right but I wonder how many customers go away right along with those problems.   Read the rest of this entry »

I spent a few hours this fine Sunday watching “Harmonic Wealth,” a 104-minute program by James Arthur Ray, a leader in growth and transformation work. He’s one of the men that appears in “The Secret,” the much-discussed transformational film that sold so many copies in the last few years. It was a great way to spend 104 minutes and I left the venue feeling very optimistic. What I liked most about Ray’s conversation, which makes up most of the film’s content, were his comments on action, responsibility and harmony. (Note, I’m not even paraphrasing here, I’m just talking about how I personally interpreted the stories and lessons that Ray talked about.)

ACTION: You can’t just expect things to happen because you want them to. You have to make them happen with your actions. Positive change happens when someone wants something to happen, then takes action to make it happen. An example? What if you are the front line responder to every customer that comes in angry because the coffee lid on the coffee that you’re serving comes off and spills on the customer’s lap. Would you continue to serve the coffee with the same lids, hour after hour, while one customer after another came in and yelled at you? Of course not. You’d take action (tell your boss, order different lids, whatever it took) and change the circumstances. What if you took action on even the smallest recurring problems that you have at your place of business, even if they aren’t quite as extreme as my example? How much happier would your customers be? Read the rest of this entry »

Lori Vest and I have great news to share with you. Our customer service book, Love Them Up and Keep Them Forever, has been picked up by a major book publisher.

Between now and December 1^st, we will be interviewing and writing about the best examples of customer service from a wide variety of industries. We’re breaking down the stories into easy to digest steps that you can put in place right away.

If you have an example that is just too juicy not to share to overcome tantrums, tirades and other customer service situations, and you would like to be considered to be interviewed for our book, please contact us at Marilyn@MarilynSuttle.com or Lori@LoriVest.com.  

We are so excited because we know that this book will bring you easy to apply emotional management skills that will make your work life happier and your customers more loyal. We are committed to raising your marketability, profitability, and your company’s sustainability while making your customers so happy that they’ll refer you to their friends and colleagues.

Here is a quick tip to put in place this week. Let us know how it works for you:

Notice what location you are in when you are most often challenged by customers. Is it when you’re responding to email at your computer? Is it on the phone? Is it across the table with your internal customers – those employees whose work affects your work?  Place a symbol or phrase in that location that will help you shift your frazzled mood into a more resourceful mood. For example:

On my computer I have a tiny quote that reminds me, “Don’t say anything unless it’s truthful, useful, kind & unifying.”  It helps me from emailing something out of frustration that I will later regret.

An employee at one of my recent workshops placed a “Love Them Up” sticker on her telephone to remind her to notice her tone of voice to make sure it is warm and friendly.

A manager I interviewed several months ago who often found herself impatient when meeting  with staff members , placed the word “Listen” on the bulletin board where she can see it when employees sit across the desk from her. When she feels impatient, that word guides her to take a deep breath and become more present with her staff.

Reflection:

Where might a symbol or phrase be placed to help you redirect yourself to provide better service?

Posted by Marilyn Suttle at www.LoveThemUp.com

It’s been an interesting week for me in customer service land - lots of evidence of unskilled people interacting with customers.  I’m grateful for my fascination with the topic, as twice last week, I’ve had the opportunity to study interactions with less-than-stellar service providers.  

Would you be surprised to learn that both incidents occurred with managers?  I wasn’t, as it’s very common that people get promoted to management because they’re competent and are able to get things done.  It’s bizarre how frequently we find that managers are the weakest links in the seller-to-customer chain.

The incident that I’ll delve into today happened at a camera store at an upscale mall near our house.  My husband decided to upgrade his digital camera several months ago and has been waiting patiently for our tax incentive check to come so he’d be able to make the purchase.  We were excited and as we waited for the sales people behind the counter to complete their transactions with other customers, we browsed and talked about pricing.  I’m sure our enthusiasm was obvious, though it was in direct opposition to the lackadaisical attitude that the store manager conveyed when she finally approached us.  ”Can I help you?” she asked.   Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine you are an employee at a lovely restaurant in a building that is over 70 years old. A baby shower is booked in your lower level on a sunny Sunday morning. The guests arrive and walk down the stairs. The woman hosting the party confirmed with you that there is an elevator available for one of the guests who uses crutches.   You assure her that the elevator is available.

Today I drove my sister, mother and I to that restaurant.  As promised, an employee met us at the door and guided my sister – the one with crutches –  to the elevator. My mom and I accompanied her. We walked through the kitchen and down a short hallway to the elevator. It was barely large enough for the three of us and it looked like one you’d see in an old classic movie.  The employee slid a metal screen in front of us and manually closed the door.  

I pushed the button marked “2” but the light did not go on. Hmmm. That wasn’t very encouraging. We slowly rose to the second floor.  I’m used to elevators that open up all by themselves. This one did not.  We stood there waiting but nothing happened.  When I realized I had to open the elevator myself, I couldn’t figure out how to slide the screen open.  After a full two minutes – that’s nearly 10 minutes in “stuck in an elevator” time - I finally got the screen to slide aside.  What a relief!  In front of me was a door handle. All I had to do was open the door. Read the rest of this entry »